ABSTRACT

Prosocial behaviors are a key component of young children’s developing social competence. The current study examines the impact of two types of maternal socialization on young children’s prosocial behaviors: emotional expressiveness (defined as maternal displayed positive and negative affect) and direct coaching of prosocial responses and explores the relationship of these socialization behaviors with mothers’ own histories of psychosocial risk. An ethnically and socioeconomically diverse sample from the United States of 80 mother-child dyads at high risk for violence exposure was assessed when the children were preschool age. All of the maternal emotion socialization behaviors were evaluated by direct observation. The sample included 40 mothers with a history of childhood trauma and 40 mothers without such a history, matched on demographic characteristics. Results indicated that mothers with a history of childhood trauma experiences expressed more positive affect than those without childhood trauma, but the groups did not differ in expressed negative affect or prosocial coaching behaviors. For the full sample, even after controlling for relevant demographic and psychosocial risk factors, socialization behaviors were associated with preschool children’s prosocial behavior. Findings reinforce the critical role of parental socialization behaviors in the development of young children’s peer-directed prosocial behaviors and highlight the importance of helping parents to develop effective socialization skills.

摘要

亲社会行为是幼儿发展社交能力的关键组成部分。目前的研究考察了两种类型的母亲社会化对幼儿亲社会行为的影响：情感表达（定义为母亲表现出的积极和消极影响）和亲社会反应的直接指导，并探讨了这些社会化行为与母亲自己的历史的关系。心理社会风险。当儿童处于学龄前年龄时，评估了来自美国的 80 个具有高风险暴露于暴力的母子二人的种族和社会经济多样化样本。所有的母亲情绪社会化行为都是通过直接观察来评估的。样本包括 40 名有童年创伤史的母亲和 40 名没有这种病史的母亲，符合人口学特征。结果表明，有童年创伤经历的母亲比没有童年创伤的母亲表现出更多的积极情感，但两组在表达的消极情感或亲社会指导行为上没有差异。对于完整样本，即使在控制了相关的人口统计学和社会心理风险因素之后，社会化行为仍与学龄前儿童的亲社会行为相关。研究结果强化了父母社会化行为在幼儿同伴导向亲社会行为发展中的关键作用，并强调了帮助父母发展有效社会化技能的重要性。但各组在表达的负面影响或亲社会指导行为方面没有差异。对于完整样本，即使在控制了相关的人口统计学和社会心理风险因素之后，社会化行为仍与学龄前儿童的亲社会行为相关。研究结果强化了父母社会化行为在幼儿同伴导向亲社会行为发展中的关键作用，并强调了帮助父母发展有效社会化技能的重要性。但各组在表达的负面影响或亲社会指导行为方面没有差异。对于完整样本，即使在控制了相关的人口统计学和社会心理风险因素之后，社会化行为仍与学龄前儿童的亲社会行为相关。研究结果强化了父母社会化行为在幼儿同伴导向亲社会行为发展中的关键作用，并强调了帮助父母发展有效社会化技能的重要性。